Chepelare Mountain Resort near Pamporovo in the Rodope Mountain, Bulgaria

CHEPELARE

Chepelare occupies a small valley at the heart of the Rodoppi Mountain. The beautiful Chepelare River passes through the pretty town. Chepelare is 222 kilometers away from Sofia and just 72 kilometers sought of Plovdiv. The Pamporovo resort is just 10 kilometers away. Chepelare is a beautiful mountain town and the nature that surrounds it – venerable fir trees, mountain springs green meadows (in the spring) and deep snow slopes in the winter makes it a place for complete and thorough relax.

The longest ski run in Bulgaria is in Chepelare. The skiing infrastructure is basic, but very well maintained; A brand new modern hisgh speed quad lift with a capacity of 2000 per hour, connects the town of Chepelare with the Mechi Chal peak in just 9 minutes, at a 2700 meters distance. A few smaller drag/towrope lifts are also in favour of the skiers. The ski runs are open from December usually through to April depending on the snow. The resort also offers a lighted piste for children and beginners right in the center of the town.

The ski runs vary in difficulty from black to green and are some of the longest in Bulgaria. There are a total of 11,400 meters of runs are three main ski tracks:
• Mechi Chal 1 is a black level run and is 3150 meters long and 50 meters wide with a total elevation change of 720 meters and is qualified to be used for international competitions.
• Mechi Chal 2 (Turisticheska) is a combination red/green run that is 5250 meters long and 25 meters wide with a total elevation change of 720 meters.
• The cross country track is 30 kilometers long located at an elevation of 1,282 meters above sea level.
• Also nearby is a 5 kilometer biathlon track.
A tourist would never feel bored because the resort also offers parallel slalom for skiers; ski competitions - Chepelare Cup, Orion Cup and others; ski schools; sledding competitions; outdoor winter carnivals.

The places of interest in Chepelare are:

s a real Bulgarian Town Chepelare has a specific character and atmosphere, and has kept centuries old traditions.
St.Atanas Church; St. Virgin Mary Church and the Rojen Observatory. The observatory is about 15 km far from the resort, on the Mechi Chal peak. A regular transport the observatory is not available, but you can go up there walking for about 2 hours, hire a taxi, or ask the hotel owner to organise it for you.
The observatory is open for tourists visits and from there you can observe almost all of the Western Rhodopi mountain.

In the summer the Rhodopi mountain completely changes itself and Chepelare changes from a thriving and modern ski resort to a tranquil mountain town. It’s people go back to the routine pace of the quite life in the mountain. The area around Chepelare has a lot to offer to the visitors.
A breathtaking rock formation named “The Wonderful Bridges” is one of the most popular nature phenomena's in the Rhodopi mountain. It is situated 27 km. away from Chepelare and has become one of the most distinctive landmarks of the region. Due to the natural “antibiotic” - fituncidis, produced by the centuries old pine tree forests around, the air in the area is highly sterile. The specific climatic conditions host a flower unique for the Rhodope mountain - haberlea rodopenzis, known to the locals as "silivriak".

A large number of churches and monasteries in the past were completely destroyed and reduced to ruins. These which are preserved and renovated are very attractive for many Bulgarian and foreign tourists.
The Bachkovo Monastery is an important monument of Christian architecture and one of the largest and oldest Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Europe. It is located on the right bank of the Chepelare River, 43 km. away from Chepelare.
The monastery is known and appreciated for the unique combination of Byzantine, Georgian and Bulgarian culture, united by the common faith.
In recent years, the Temple of St. Vissarion Smolyanski, which is one of the biggest East Orthodox temple in Bulgaria rises at the center of the district center—Smolyan.

The caves near the Greek border (approximately 58 km away from Chepelare), such as Yagodinska Cave, Uhlovitsa, Devil's Throat Cave and others are popular among speleologists with their spectacular forms and underground lakes and rivers. The caves are electrified, the stair are hand-railed for tourists’ safety.
“Chepelare Resort” PLC aims to promote Chepelare’s individual character and atmosphere and to establish it as one of the most popular all seasons resort in Bulgaria.

Lodging:

Many small privately owned hotels are available in Chepelare. During the winter the resort and the hotels are quite busy and a booking is required. Most of the hotels are 2 or 3 stars and you can see some of them in the left table of this page. Most of the hotels have restaurants where guests can order breakfast or dinner. Ski rentals are available at the hotels too.

Prices:

In general they depend on the season, but the average prices are lower compared to Borovets and Pamporovo. The urbanization has not reached this resort as much like the biggest resorts, so if you are looking for a pure nature and skiing for less money that's your resort.
For example here are the prices of the lift pass: 1 day: adult 18 levs, child: 9 levs; 3 days: adult 42 levs, child 24 levs; 6 days: adult 80 levs, child 45 levs.
1 lev = 1.95 euro

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